The 2024 MLB season came to a close a few weeks ago with the Los Angeles Dodgers winning the World Series four games to one over the New York Yankees. This means only one thing, Awards Time! Curveball Chronicles is going to honor a batter and hitter each from the American League (AL) and National League (NL) with the Inaugural "CC NL/AL Most Undervalued Hitter/Pitcher Award." These award-winning players will typically be young (or only have been in the league for a couple of years), having just had a breakout year, and are being severely undervalued by their organization's front office in terms of their salary because of their rookie contract. Thus, it can be interesting to follow these players' careers to see all the other achievements and awards they can win.
Evaluative Criteria
The ranking and selection process went as follows:
All qualified hitters and pitchers were separated into four categories (NL Hitter, NL Pitcher, AL Hitter, and AL Pitcher)
All players with under 2.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) would be eliminated in each category
All players earning above $1,000,000 yearly salary would be eliminated in each category
Players without significant social media coverage, no awards or honors for 2024, and are relatively unknown within the baseball realm will be the ones remaining in consideration. (Note: this means the award combines statistical evidence and subjective opinion to arrive at the nominee and winner)
Finally, all of the players' 2024 stats and achievements will be taken into account with the goal of selecting one winner
Without further ado, here are the four Most Undervalued MLB Players awards:
CC NL Most Undervalued Hitter Award:
Winner: Masyn Winn, Shortstop, St. Louis Cardinals
Winn had a breakout rookie year for the Cardinals after being named their starting shortstop on Opening Day. He would go onto to play 150 games throughout the 2024 season, displaying his dynamism of a solid offense, great speed, and a cannon for an arm paired with a great glove in the field.
Salary: $742,250
Wins Above Replacement (WAR): 4.9
CC NL Most Undervalued Pitcher Award:
Ryan Walker, Pitcher, San Francisco Giants
Walker was a dominant pitcher out the Giants' pen and became their main closer to end out the year. The Washington state native features a filthy sinker-slider pitch mix, each of which paired well with each other through pitch tunneling to allow Walker to pick up the efficient outs.
Salary: $747,500
Wins Above Replacement (WAR): 2.8
CC AL Most Undervalued Hitter Award:
Yainer Diaz, Catcher, Houston Astros
A potential new franchise catcher is on the horizon for the Houston Astros, and his name is Yainer Diaz. The Houston backstop displays reputable skills behind the plate (having caught Ronel Blanco's no hitter this past season, Blanco who is an undervalued pitcher in his own right) and has been one of the top hitting catchers throughout the past two seasons.
Salary: $768,900
Wins Above Replacement (WAR): 3.2
CC AL Most Undervalued Pitcher Award:
Griffin Jax, Pitcher, Minnesota Twins
In his fourth years in the Majors, Griffin Jax has proven himself to be an elite reliever out the Minnesota Twins bullpen. A devasting sweeper paired with a heavy four-seam fastball is complimented with a changeup, sinker, and curveball to complete his arsenal. Having fireballer Jhoan Duran as the Twins' closer pitching after Jax can overshadow his performance, but the numbers and pitching prowess are evident, showcasing a continued bright future for soon to be 30-year old Griffin Jax.
Salary: $761,750
Wins Above Replacement (WAR): 2.8
And that concludes the Curveball Chronicles' Most Undervalued Players of 2024 Awards!
All credit goes to Baseball Reference and Baseball Savant for research throughout the awards process.
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